Flushing-tank for water-closets.



A. A. BOSS.

FLUSHING TANK FOR WATER CLOSETS. APPLlcMloN msn MAR. 3o. 19H.

mmm n.,

/VVE/VTR 23 Addy/4.3055.

NTOH/VEY entr" A. Boss, or Demora, Mie

reen! estenos-ori einenlair irc.)` suenen Gemeen;

or DETROIT, Midi-Ireen.

ruusiiiaeteuxfroze waren-ttete igaavgaii.

Specification-of Letters latent.`

lljatented ov. 2l),

To all whom t may concern.' -A

Be it known that I, ADD'Y A. `Bossyacitizen ofthe United States, residing at Detroit', in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Flushing-Tank for Water-Closets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toiiushing tanks for water closets, and particularly to `ii'ushing tanks such as are intended to be lcate'd only a slight distance above the bowl to "be liushed.

lt is the object of the invention to subject thewater discharging from a fiushing Vtank to the pressure existing in the mains from which the tank is filled in addition to that resulting from the weight and elevation'of the water so thata discharge of water sufficiently forceful to thoroughly cleanse a closet bowl may be secured without uno/le-A sirably elevating the flushing tank or unduly increasing its capacity.

ln attaining this obj ect the invention contemplates the employment of a iushing tank the upper portion of which will normally be occupied by air under pressure of the water in the mains, and the utilization'of this pressure to initially open the discharge valve of the tank after manipula-tion of a certain lever. Other features are the provision of automatic means for controlling` the access of air to the tank, of means for holding the discharge valve raised after' less ot the air pressure utilized to initially elevate said valve so as to allow the tank to Jfully discharge, and the provision of means for bypassing a certain amount of walter past the discharge valve after the same has closed, so as to refill the trap of the closet and leave a supply of water standing in the bowl. i

One embodiment of a construction accomplishingsaid object is hereinafter described and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a sectional lelevation of a flushing tankv employing said construction, said tank being shown in its normal or filled condition.

sheet metal lc'onstructifn. Water= inlet and @una pips'e and ,arespeeuveiy emmil cate with the tank 1 through. thebottnl thereof; the latterlpipebeing relatively lange so that, the tank will quickly empty when' discharging, despite the simultaneous inflow of water through the pipe 2. The pipe 2 communicates with suitable sourbe of water pressure as the mains of" alpumping system (not shwn), and has open cmmunic'ation with the `tank so that normally the latter will be almost lilled with water under the pressure in "themains,` the space above the waterbeing occupied by air under the same pressure.

Hthin the'itank the (pipe 3 `is screwed into the lower end of a valve case althe top of whichforms aseat for a disk valve 5 controllingthe How ot' water! through said valve ease to ythe 4'outlet pipe. Said vlilve seat is lined with rubber, 'leather7 or similar vielgding material as 'indicated at 46 `to prevent leaka ge, this liningV held in place byla clamping ringf bolted or'otherwise secured to the Vtop ofthe valve case In 4itsymove*v ment to and from' its seat,` `fthe valvefis guided by a pin 8 projeeting rigidly down; ward therefrom and passingffreelythrough a guide strip 9 which abridgesfthe central passage through thevalve case. The valve is provided also with an elongated upstand'- inglug l0`,.whi`c h .ispivotally engaged iwith the lower extremity of a valve stemlL The upper endportion ofsaid `valve stenr pro-V jects above the tank `'passing centrallyl through an opening l2 formedin the to`p` thereof and through a. e;;ible di a'phrafgm 1 3A which forms a closurefiior said opening;` The outer portion of this diaphragm his 'engaged between the tank top a clamping ring 14, the clamping pressure being set up bybolt and nut astenings 15 between said ring and tank. The center portion `cat thc diaphragm is engaged between washersil through which the stem` 1l passes, A which washersare clamped by nuts 17 threaded upon said stem. Thus4 it will be seen that the valve stem and consequently the valve are constrained to participate in; any upward movement to which the center portion or" thediaphragm `may besubjected due to thei'compression ofthe air'inA the top poition oft the tank under normal conditions. Such Inovementof the diaphragm, isf'nor; mally prevented, howeverJ by a' rockishaf't 18 horizontally mounted in bearings 15.9.;

itu

standing upon a strip 20. This strip is integral with and diametrical to an annular {iange -21 formed upon the ring 14 at its inner periphery. The stem 11 passes freely through this strip and is adapted in one position of rotation of the rock-shaft to abut against a flat surface 22 of said rock-shaft produced by cutting away a small portion thereof. By rocking this shaft through an angle of approximately ninety degrees, the flat portion thereof will be displaced from above the .valve stem and the latter, together with the valve, will then be raised through outward yielding of the diaphragm to the air pressure therebeneath. At the front of the tank a handle member 28 is mounted fast upon the rock-shaft, whereby the latter may be conveniently rocked from one to the other of thedescribed positions.

Since the initial unseating of the valve 5, after proper manipulationof the handle 23, is due to air pressure in the top portion of the tank acting on the diaphragm 13, and Vsince this pressure is quickly reduced as the water rapidly discharges from the tank, it is apparent that provision must be made to prevent the valve from seating again after the water level has been somewhat lowered. With this in view, a latch member 24 is provided to engage a shoulder 25 in the lug 10 when the valve is in raised or open position, said shoulder being formed by notching an edge of the lug. ySaid latch member is horizontally slidable upon a bracket 26 which has a guide portion 27 freely embracing said latch member. This bracket furthermore forms the pivotal support for a bell crank lever 28 having a normally vertical arm pivotally connected to the latch member, as indicated at 29, and having a normally horizontal arm, the free end of which carries a float 30. Normally, the ioat 30 is submerged and the buoyant force thereof acts through the bell crank lever upon the latch member 24, tending to force the latter against the lug 10, consequently upon initial raising of the valve by the air pressure exerted upon the diaphragm 13, the latch member will engage beneath the shoulder 25 and will thus retain the valve opened until the tank has been almost completely emptied. Y When the water has reached this low level, however, the ioat 30 will have dropped to the position indicated in dash lines in Fig. 1, thereby rocking the bell crank lever to the position similarly indicated and withdrawing the latch member from engagement with the lug 10. The valve 5 will now drop to its seat due to its own weight and that of the stem 11, and the tank will be filled again by the infiow through the pipe 2.

While the bracket member 26 may be supported in any convenient manner, it is preferred to mount the same upon a vertical water tube 31Vv which has its lower extremity screwed into a lateral projection 32 upon thevalve case 4 and communicating through a passage 33 in said projection with the main passage throughsaid case. The top of the Water tube 31 is screwed into the bottom ofa T-fitting Bel, the top of which forms Ya seat for a disk valve 35. Movement of this valve to and fromits seat is guided by a pin 36 projecting rigidly downward from the .valve and having sliding engagement with a guide strip 37 abridging the passage beneath thevalve. A short stem 38 projects Y lever 39, as likewise indicated in dash lines. Y

The lateral opening -11l of the T-fitting 31 communicates with an air vent pipe 42, which, after extending to a point above the normal water level, projects through an end wall of the tank and into communication with the external atmosphere. Y Y

In considering the operation of the-abovedescribed mechanism, it will be frst assumed that the water level and the position Vof the several mechanisms vare all normal. The air occupying the ,top .portion of the tank is then compressed by the water which fills the Amainportionof the tank, the degree of the pressure being equal to that existing in the inlet pipe 2. Under these conditions, the

buoyancy of the submerged float 40k will maintain the valve 85 closed and prevent water being forced out through the air vent pipe Ll2 by said pressure. lt being desired to discharge the contents of the tank, the handle 23 is manually rocked from its full line to its dash line position (see Fig. 1). The shaft 18 is thus rocked through substantially a ninety degree angle, displacing its flat portion from above the Valve stem. The tendency ofthe-diaphragm torexpand upwardly under pressure of air beneaththe saine willno longer be resisted by the valve stem 11, and the diaphragm will bulge up, lifting said stem and unseating the valve 5.

Thereupon, the buoyantforcerof the float 30 will throw the latch member 24 into engagement with the shoulder 25, so that the valve may not reseat as soon as the air pressure acting on the diaphragm is reduced. rlhe water rushes out through the fitting 4 and pipe 3, and thence to the-closet bowl (not shown). The pressure inducing this discharge is that of the air compressed above thewater-aswell asv the hydrostatic "pressure of the vwaterfitselt There is-an inflow through the pipe 2 simultaneous with the outflow through 3,-andY this retards to some extent the lowering :ofthe water level and the expansion of the air. llhen the water level has fallen sufficiently to `cause the-iioat 35 to move downwardly, the air pressure above the water will be practically atmospheric. If the tank were now vented, the further dropping of the water level `would be impeded by the entrance of air through the discharge pipe. The lowering of the float 40, however, opens the valve 35 so that air flows into the tank through the pipe 42 as the water level drops. Finally, when the tank is almost empty, the tloat 30 drops sufficiently to disongage the latch member 24 'from the lug 10, and the valve 5 regains its seat. At this timethe handle 23 rocks downwardly by its own weight and `engages the fla-t portion of the rock-shaft 18 above the stem 1l. The tank new quickly `ills with water entering through the pipe-2, and the floats 30 and el() successively regain their normal elevated positions as the water level rises. But before the valve 35 is closed by the float 40, a sufficient quantity of water will be by-passed through the water tube 3l and passage 33 to till the trap of the `closet and the depression in the bottom of the bowl.

In addition to the utilization of the water main pressure to augment the force -with which the water discharges, the above-de scribed construction is advantageous in that the exertion of a very slight manuali'orce is necessarv to cause flushing sincethe onl weight raised by said exertion is that oi the small handle 23.

1What l claim is:

l. ln a device of the character described, the combination with a substantially airtight tank, having an outlet in its bottom portion, ot means for admitting water under pressure to said tank and thereby compress ing air in the top portion thereof, a valve controlling said outlet, means 'for employing the energy of the compressed air in the top of the tank for unseating said vi lve, a manually controlled device exterior to the tank for normally preventing the lastnamed means from functioning, means adapted to retain the valve open after its initial unseating independently of the de` grec of air pressure in the top oi' the tank, and float-controlled mechanism for releasing the valve from the last named means at a. predetermined level of the water in the tank. y Y

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a substantially air tight tank, having a water inlet and an outlet and provided withv an opening in its top, of a diaphragm closing said opening and subject to the pressure of air in said tank, a valve controlling said outlet, a corr nection between the valve and diaphragm whereby outward'tlexing of the latter un seats the former, a member exterior to the tank adjustable to either permit or prevent outward flexing of the diaphragm, means adapted to retain the valve open after its initial unseating independently of said diaphragm, and iioat controlled mechanism tor releasing the valve from the last-named means, at a predetermined level ot the water in the tank.

3; In a devi ,e of the character described, the combination with a substantially airtight tank, having a 7aler inlet and an outlet and provided with an opening in its top, oit a diaphragm closing said opening and subject to the pressure ot air in said tank, a valve controlling said outlet, a stem for said valve extending through said dia phragm and having an engagement thereH with whereby outward flexing ot the diaphragm unseats the valve, :i member ex` terior to the tank movable into or out ot ai'rengagement with said stem, preventing upward displacement thereof and outward flexing of the diaphragm. means adapted to retain the valve open its initial unseating"independently of said diaphragm, and {loa-t controlled mechanism for releas` ing the valve from the last named means at a predetermined level oit the water in tie tank. y

ll. ln a device of the character described, the combination with a substantially air` tight tank having an outlet in its bottom portion, of means for admitting water under pressure to said tank, and thereby compressing air in the top portion thereof, a valve controlling said outlet, a stem extending from said valve and projecting exterior to the tank. mechanism engaging said stem and operable for unseating the valve by the pressure ot the air compressed in said tank, a rockshatt exterior to the tank nor mally engaging said stem to maintain the valve seated and manually disengageable therefrom, means independent of the air pres sure in the tank for holding the valve open after initial unseating ther-cot, and float controlled mechanism tor automatically releasing the valve 'from the last named means at a predetermined level oi' the water in the tank.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a substantially airA tight tank having an outlet in its bottom portion, of means for admitting water under pressure said tank and therebyv compress ing air in the top portion thereof, a valve controlling said outlet, means operable by the pressure of the air in the top oit the tank for unseating said valve, a manually controlled device exterior to the tank for normally preventing the last named means from functioning, means adapted to retain the valve open after its initial unseating independently of the degree of air pressure in the top of the tank, float controlled mechanism for releasing the valve from the last named means at a predetermined level of the water in the tank, a pipe for venting the tank to the atmosphere, a valve controlling said vent pipe, and means for automatically actuating said valve controlled by variations in the water level.

G. In a device of the character described, the combination with a substantially airtight tank, having` an outlet in its bottom portion, of means for admitting water under pressure to said tank and thereby compressing air in the top portion thereof, a valve controlling said outlet, means for employing the energy of the compressed air in the top of the tank to unseat said valve, a manually controlled device exterior to the tank for :normally preventing the last named means from functioning, means adapted to retain the valve open after its initial unseating independently of the degree of air pressure in the 'top of the tank, ioat controlled mechanism for releasing the valve from the last named means at a predetermined level of the waterl in the tank, and means for by-passing a limited quantity of water around said valve subsequent to discharging of the tank.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a substantially airtight tank, having an outlet in its bottom portion, of means for admitting` water under pressure to said tank and thereby compressing air in the top portion thereof, a valve cont-rolling said outlet, means for employing the 'energy of the compressed air inthe top of the tank for unseating said valve, a manually controlled device exterior to the tank for normally preventing the last named meansl from functioning, means adapted to retain the valve open after its initial unseating independently of the degree of air pressure.

in the top of the tank, float controlled mechanism for releasing the valve from the last named means at a predetermined level ofthe water in the tank, a by-pass around said valve, a valve controlling said by-pass, a float normally maintaining said valve closed and opening the same as the tank discharges, said iioat operating to open the valve as the tank fills subsequent to allowing a limited discharge of water through the by-pass.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a substantially airtight tank having an outlet in its bottom portion, of means for admitting water under pressure to saidA tank and thereby compressing air in the top portion thereof, aivalve controlling said outlet, means for employing the energy of thecompressed air in the top of the tank to unseat said valve, a manually controlled device exterior to the tank `for normally preventing the last named means from functioning, means adapted to retain the valve open after its initial -unseating independently of the degree of air pressure in the top of the tank, float controlled mechanism for releasing the valve from the last named means at a' predetermined level ofV the combination withV a substantially airtight tank having an VoutletV in its bottom portion, of means for admitting water under pressure to said tank and thereby compressingair in the top portion thereof, a valve controlling said outlet, a stemfor said valve having a portion projecting exteriorly of the tank, means engaged with said stem for employing the energy of the compressed air in the top of the tank to unset said valve, ar

member exterior to the tank engageable with the stem to prevent-the same undergoing a valve-opening displacement .and adjustable-V to allow such a displacement, means adapted to retain the valve open after its initial iin-- seating independently of the degree of air pressure in the top of the tank', and means for automatically releasing the valve from the last-named means at apredetermined level of the water in the tank.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tank having an outlet il Valve fOr ClOSIlg said outlet, means for seating and unseating said valve, a by-pass around said valve, a pipe for venting the tank to theatmosphere, a commonvalve con-V 'trolling said by-pass and kvent'pipe, and a float controlling the last-namedfvalve to unseat the same and vent the tank as the waterV discharges and to close the same as the tank seA iiie

fills subsequent to allowing a limited dis-V Y charge through said by-pass.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification. Y Y

ADDYA. BOSS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents` Washington, D. G. 

